Two Lions and the Tree
by NeverLander22
Summary: After years of them being seperated, Simba takes Nala to the site of his former home in the oasis to reveal something that he always wished he was able to tell her. A cute one-shot.


Two Lions and the Tree.

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Romance floated in the air as Simba led his love- Nala- through the jungle. The two had taken the time away from their crazy lives as King and Queen of the Pride Lands- always being the ones who had to make the split second, life saving (or life changing) decisions. They loved their job, don't think wrongly, but it could get overwhelming at times. Take the other day for example. The gazelle had decided that they no longer wished to drink out of the watering hole if the zebra were going to be around.

Impari- the king of the gazelle herds- made a foul statement regarding the zebra as 'hay eating, dung smelling, black and white rats.' Why Impari would say such a thing nobody knew, but he had and it infuriated the black and white creatures. A sudden boycott occurred in the animal kingdom. The usually peaceful system was sent into chaos and the Pride Lands was divided.

This lasted not too long, for King Simba- heir to the all mighty Mufasa- resolved the issue in quite the orderly fashion. After listening to both sides of the argument, Simba thought... and thought... and thought some more. Before coming up with the blunt explanation, "Either you agree to peace and apologize or neither groups will be allowed around the water hole." followed by him sitting back on his hind legs, allowing the two leaders to absorb his proposal. In the end, the whole dispute was settled as quickly as it had begun.

The young king was inexperienced, but what pushed him along was his passion for the animals that he governed. The animals who had lived through the hardships of the dictator Scar. The lionesses. All of them (except for those who didn't make it through the rebuilding of the Pride Lands) had lived through some of the hardest times that Western Africa had faced to date. But Simba was trying hard. He was trying to be the ruler that his father would be proud of, a ruler his mother could look upon and smile. So far, he was doing an amazing job.

But even the greatest Kings need time to be themselves and enjoy their loved ones. For some reason, Simba and Nala were out in the jungle. The golden lion knew this leafy maze inside and out considering that he had spent so much of his life there. Breathing in the musky scent, Sima felt like a cub again. Memories flooded back to him. Thoughts of bug eating contests, mud wallowing contests, snail slurping contests, belching contests... _come to think of it_, he thought to himself, _we had a lot of contests when I was young_. The auburn maned lion chuckled at the thought, catching his mates attention.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a curious smile plastered on her muzzle.

"Oh, nothing," he responded with another laugh. "Just remembering old times. Come on, follow me, I want to show you something,"

"What is it?" Nala's adventurous side peaked and she couldn't help but asking.

"It's a surprise," he smiled and turned away, his tail gently swaying behind him.

Nala watched with a loving smile and eyes as Simba trotted ahead. What a perfect day, she swooned. The lioness trotted after him, the pads of her paws pressing against the soft, delicate dirt. From that point on they walked in silence, savoring the natural sounds, the presence of each other in the cool area under the trees.

Simba felt his way through the canopies, letting his instincts take over. He knew where he wanted to go- already the image was in his mind, he just had to find it. The perfect place for the two of them to have some 'calm down' time. A time free of responsibility. A care free time. _Hakuna Matata_.

The trees brushed up against the two felines' sides as they slowly made their way through the jungle. Different shades of green helped to protect their eyes against the beating African sun. Small, glistening water droplets shimmered on the small leaves, giving them a homely feeling for Simba. All this was so familiar.

The whole while, Simba was just waiting to see that one familiar bush. He knew it could not have gone anywhere , so when he saw it, he would be able to tell exactly where they were. The scene from his cubhood would come back to resurface in his head.

Suddenly there it was. The bush by the oasis, covered in purple blooms- just as he remembered from so long ago. His expression softened further into a sweet smile. Nala notices the expression change on her mates face and her thoughts began to drift_. What might this be about? _she asked herself, feeling rather suspicious. However, the lioness kept her mouth shut, feeling that whatever Simba wanted to show her must have been important.

Simba's pace increased to a steady walk, his stomach hatching butterflies with every step he took. He began remembering all those years ago, the paths he took everyday, the water he lapped from every morning, the mud he wallowed in each evening then having to go back to the water and wash himself because he had gotten so muddy. _Ahh,_ he sighed to himself. _It's good to be back._

Nala continued behind him, taking in all the sights around her, when suddenly Simba stopped. His major smile turned to a glistening grin, his pearly white teeth showing brightly in the sun. He waited.

"What?" asked Nala. "Why did you stop?"

"Look,"

The lioness walked around her mate, her eyes never leaving his... then she saw it. Standing there perfectly. Two intertwined trees, one with Simba's name, the other with Nala's. Around the two names was a carefully drawn, exceptionally smooth heart. The sight took her breath away.

"I drew it years ago," came Simba's calm voice. "It was right after I became an adolescent. Pretty good for a youngster, eh?"

"Wow..." Simba held his breath, silently praying to the Gods that she would like it. At the moment, it was hard to tell anything that she was thinking. Was she happy? Totally disgusted? In love with it? He couldn't read her face.

"It's... beautiful," Nala walked closer to the trees to examine them better. "You drew this?"

"I did," came Simba's answer. "I knew that I always loved you Nal. You were my other half. Even when we were cubs."

A sting of tears came to Nala's eyes as she looked back at the golden lion. "I knew it too, Simba," she nuzzled herself into his mane and Simba even heard her purr. Soon he found himself purring as well.

"You're a part of me, Nal, we are one,"

"I love it," she purred. "And I love you too," Simba blushed a crimson red under his fur. "I love you too, Nal," the two lovers laid and eventually fell asleep by the intertwined trees, their own tails intertwined as well.

The End.

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A/N: So folks, here it is. My first post, but definitely not my first ever story. Just a sweet little one-shot, the things I love so much. I will probably to more of these until I finish the long story I am in progress of. Anywho, thanks for stopping by and I hope I delivered a great read.

-NeverLander


End file.
